On the eve of the Supreme Court oral arguments on Arizona’s controversial immigration law, New York Sen. Charles Schumer told the measure’s author that it permits the state to substitute “its own judgment’’ in place of federal law on who is — and who is not — in the U.S. illegally.

Schumer, a member of the Senate Democratic leadership team, peppered Pearce at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on the role of state and local governments in enforcing federal immigration law.

The Supreme Court hears arguments this morning on the Arizona law, with proponents saying states are simply stepping in because of federal failure to secure the border and opponents saying that the laws invite discrimination against Latinos who are in the country lawfully.

Though there are many advocates for Arizona’s right to enforce federal immigration laws, Pearce was the only one to testify for the law at a hearing of the Judiciary immigration subcommittee, which Schumer chairs.

“We reached out far and wide to incumbent officials who supported the law; no one would come,’’ said Schumer. That “says something, I think, about the law, but it is also to your credit, Mr. Pearce, that at least you have the integrity to come here.’’

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a Judiciary Committee member and Arizona law supporter, chose not to attend what he called “election-year theater.”

Cornyn said: “This is not an attempt at having a sincere hearing on the merits. Unfortunately, the Democrat majority seems to have embraced President Obama’s ‘manana’ approach to immigration reform.”

Schumer also cited the 2012 elections in saying that the solution to illegal immigration must come from both parties.

“We need people to sit down, people on both sides of the aisle, in a bipartisan way, and solve this problem,” said Schumer. “We get a lot of rhetoric out there on the campaign trail, but we don’t get any action.”

Pearce argued the state law provides police with the tools they need to protect Arizona from waves of illegal immigrants crossing its arid border lands. The law’s aim is to heighten law enforcement against illegal immigrants so that they will “self deport,’’ its supporters have said.

Schumer said the Arizona “restricts the federal law and substitutes its own judgment.”

Immigration from Mexico has leveled off and is now at net zero, according to a Pew Research study released Monday. Many immigrants are returning to Mexico due to job shortages, stricter law enforcement, the risks associated with crossing the border illegally and Mexico’s shifting economic climate, the report said.

Schumer questioned Pearce on what the law says about acceptable forms of ID that anyone questioned by police can use to prove legal status.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security accepts 53 types of documents for identification, but the Arizona law only accepts eight. Schumer said Arizona law requires holders of the other 45 types of documents to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility or wait until an ICE officer arrives on the scene.

Pearce responded there is a 24/7 hotline that police can call and resolve ID questions in a matter of minutes.

He said that the law is not designed to discriminate against the Latino population.

“`Illegal’ is a crime, not a race,” said Pearce. “Mr. Chairman, we have a national crisis and yet we continue to ignore it.”